Tuesday, July 10, 2012

CNNGo.com

CNNGo.com


Fact or fiction? Pilotless flights to become reality

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 03:07 AM PDT

pilotless planeWe may have to get used to scenes like this.

Boarding a plane that has no pilots in the cockpit -- scary or exciting? Fictional or the future?

This wacky idea has been put out there by aviation experts in Australia who are in the process of introducing what could be the first unmanned cargo flights.

Australian website news.com.au says unmanned civilian planes could be only a short step away from that, as "drone" technology made famous by the United States military becomes more widespread and advanced.

Instead of being piloted from a cockpit in the plane, associate professor Duncan Campbell, director of the Australian Research Centre for Aerospace Automation at the Queensland University of Technology, told news.com.au that planes could be piloted remotely from the ground.

Would you board a plane without a pilot on board? Tell us in the comments.

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World's best hotel is ...

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 02:11 AM PDT

by Hiufu Wong

Africa has the best hotel in the world and Bangkok is the best travel city, according to the 2012 World's Best Awards, voted by the readers of Travel + Leisure.

The United States' lifestyle magazine collected votes from December 2011 to March 2012 from travelers in nine categories including hotels, cities, islands, cruise lines, tour operators and safari outfitters, airlines, rental-car agencies, destination spas and hotel spas. 

Singita Grumeti Reserves at Tanzania's Seregeti National Park was named the best hotel for the second consecutive year.

"You almost expect to see Teddy Roosevelt behind the wheel of one of the two vintage Chevrolets," the magazine said in its review.

Bangkok was named the best city for the second year in a row and the best island title was given to Boracay in the Philippines. 

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Gallery: Spectacular art at Austria's Bodypaint City

Posted: 09 Jul 2012 09:40 PM PDT

by CNNGo staff

The Na'vi from "Avatar" had nothing on these models-turned-beautiful, freaky creatures at the 15th World Bodypainting Festival in Poertschach, Austria.

Some 200 artists from 44 countries gathered at what's known as "Bodypaint City" to compete for the championship title during the festival, which was held July 2-8. Categories included brush/sponge airbrush, special effects, UV effects and facepainting.

At the end of the week-long festival, Kristina Elizarova from Russia was crowned the new World Champion, winning a trophy, US$2,500 in cash and a makeup voucher valued at US$1,230. 

New Zealander Magdalena O'Connor took second place, while Wolf Reicherter from Germany came in third.

And in case you're wondering, yes, the models are wearing G-strings.

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'Toy Story' park wows Japan as tourism rebounds

Posted: 09 Jul 2012 09:06 PM PDT

With the major players in Japan's summer vacation season in the blocks and ready for the annual hectic sprint toward fall, a group of unlikely leaders is off to a flier at Tokyo Disney Resort's new "Toy Story" attraction.

Woody, Buzz and a cast of thousands (maybe it just seems that way) from the movie series hit the track running July 9 at their new Toy Story Mania section of the park.

Long lines

Opening-day crowds faced waits of up to 400 minutes -- getting on for seven hours -- to sample a range of rides and games aimed at patrons even younger than those the resort usually attracts.

Lines at the ¥11.5 billion (US$144 million) attraction did shrink to a mere three hours later in the day, though.

More on CNNGo: Tourism flatlines as visitors avoid Japan

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CNNGo - Park Hotel Group Contest

Posted: 09 Jul 2012 08:20 PM PDT

Park Hotel Group is offering CNNGo readers an exclusive opportunity to win free nights at their top properties across Asia. Two exciting getaways are up for grabs each week.

Complete the form below by July 17 to be in the running for the following prizes:

Park Hotel Hong Kong: Two nights' stay in a Deluxe Room with breakfast for two worth US$ 919 Park Hotel Clarke Quay: Two nights' stay in a Deluxe Room with breakfast for two worth US$ 752

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Hotels offer 'Fifty Shades of Grey' sexy weekend getaways

Posted: 09 Jul 2012 06:12 PM PDT

by Karla Cripps

Fans of that sizzling, steamy, saucy, sexy, sensational novel, "Fifty Shades of Grey," can now plan their own erotic romps through the Pacific Northwest with a domineering billionaire by reserving one of several hotel packages looking to capitalize on the bestseller's -- 19 million copies at the last count -- popularity.

First, a quick brief on the book, the first in the Portland/Seattle-set trilogy by British author E.L. James. As if you haven't heard of it.

Much like watching a Michael Bay film, you don't read "Fifty Shades" for its intelligent wordplay or skillfully crafted plot. It's pure, unapologetic smut, dubbed "mommy porn" in honor of the millions of 30-something women reading it.

"Fifty Shades of Grey" features two main characters: the young, awkward Anastasia Steele and the dark and brooding Christian Grey.

Steele is an innocent student, Grey an eccentric billionaire with a penchant for S&M. They meet under unlikely circumstances, then have lots and lots of sex in all sorts of different places. Some other stuff happens. The end.  

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The Sherpa cheat sheet: 9 things you were embarrassed to ask

Posted: 09 Jul 2012 09:30 AM PDT

by Bruce Foreman

Sherpas are the guardian angels of the Himalayas, cheerfully schlepping vast loads up mountains while foreign clients pant some way behind their heels.

It's a powerful image in the popular imagination, but is there more to the Sherpas?  

1. What's Sherpa?

Sherpas have to make sure that everyone gets a similar load or risk inciting friction amongst porters.Like Google and Wikipedia, Sherpa is a noun that became a verb, as in "Can you sherpa a bag for me?"

But the word "Sherpa" originally meant "people from the East" and is pronounced "shar-wa" by the Sherpa themselves. 

Before mountain climbing became a popular pastime in the Himalayas, the word Sherpa simply denoted a group of people who migrated to Nepal from Eastern Tibet. This was before the two regions became separate countries. 

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